“What’s your problem?”
“I just don’t think—”
“Oh I know!” Kenny smirked in a very feline sort of way. “You’re worried Taylor—”
Van stiffened. Her hands flew to her hips. “What about Taylor?”
I threw my hands up. So much for trying to be a protective big brother. “She’s there,” I said as though it should have been obvious. “I mean, she’s part of the gang . I just thought—”
“That I was some weak coward afraid of that two-faced bitch, is that it?”
“No!”
But Van was no longer listening to me. She flipped a curl of hair off her shoulder and poked her chin up a notch. “I’m not afraid of her. There is nothing she can do to me anymore. I want to go skiing.” She whipped around on the heel of her sock-clad feet and flounced in the direction of the stairs. “I’m going to get dressed.”
She was gone before anyone could stop her. Her feet pounded on the stairs as she ran up them.
“Who’s Taylor?” Kia asked, glancing from me to Kenny.
Kenny opened his mouth to respond when Van shouted from the top of the stairs. “Come on, Kia!”
Kia groaned. “Can I just get a root canal instead?” But she rose and shuffled off.
“Sorry, man,” Kenny muttered when we were alone. “I completely forgot…”
I waved his apology away. “Whatever. I tried. It’s up to her if she wants to go.”
Kenny just nodded slowly for a moment before speaking again. “So Kia’s nice. Not Vanessa’s usual pick in friends.”
“ She doesn’t want another Taylor,” I mumbled. “I think she’s trying to change.”
Kenny snorted. “I didn’t think your sister was capable.”
I got to my feet. “ She’s had a rough year, but she’s tough.”
Kenny unfolded his tall frame from the chair and tucked his phone into his pocket. “I like her. Kia, that is. She has a … personality, I find kind of sexy.” He looked up and caught the warning glower I cast him. He grinned. “Don’t worry. I know she’s yours. But I’d be careful.”
I folded my arms and cocked my head to the side. “Why’s that?”
Kenny moved towards the stairs, his long legs eating the distance with little effort. “Girls like Kia want your heart and no guy deserves that kind of death.”
I waited until he’d made his way up the stairs before muttering, “Too late.”
Taylor and the group met us at The Roundhouse Lodge on one of Whistler’s highest mountains. The lodge had always been one of my favorites. The log-style structure sitting regal against the snow-capped mountains always felt warm and welcoming, and the trip down the side of Whistler’s Peak … epic!
The group was waiting for us at the front doors of the lodge when we clambered our way off the gondola with our skis (snowboard in my case), poles and bulky suits. Taylor stood at the helm, entertaining the group with a story about some lazy waitress. The others seemed to be eating it up, laughing and making snide remarks. They stopped when Taylor turned and caught sight of us. She beamed and flicked a blonde curl off her shoulder.
“Adam!” She sashayed over and kissed me before I could stop her. Her lips were sweet, like flavored ChapStick—cherries, I think. It made me want to scrub my mouth. She drew back, biting her bottom lip. Her smile was all seduction as her arm snaked through mine. She pressed her chest into my upper arm. “Where did you go last night? I was hoping we could head up to my room and finish what we started on the couch. I know you were feeling it, too.”
We clearly had very different memories of the previous night, because, while I was feeling something, it hadn’t been her.
“ I told you it wasn’t happening again.” I tried to dislodge my arm from her clutches, but the girl was like a Venus flytrap and my arm was a fly.
“ I think you should let me try and convince you.” Her finger pressed into my lips before I could even think to correct her. “Don’t say anything right now, but when we’re
“I just don’t think—”
“Oh I know!” Kenny smirked in a very feline sort of way. “You’re worried Taylor—”
Van stiffened. Her hands flew to her hips. “What about Taylor?”
I threw my hands up. So much for trying to be a protective big brother. “She’s there,” I said as though it should have been obvious. “I mean, she’s part of the gang . I just thought—”
“That I was some weak coward afraid of that two-faced bitch, is that it?”
“No!”
But Van was no longer listening to me. She flipped a curl of hair off her shoulder and poked her chin up a notch. “I’m not afraid of her. There is nothing she can do to me anymore. I want to go skiing.” She whipped around on the heel of her sock-clad feet and flounced in the direction of the stairs. “I’m going to get dressed.”
She was gone before anyone could stop her. Her feet pounded on the stairs as she ran up them.
“Who’s Taylor?” Kia asked, glancing from me to Kenny.
Kenny opened his mouth to respond when Van shouted from the top of the stairs. “Come on, Kia!”
Kia groaned. “Can I just get a root canal instead?” But she rose and shuffled off.
“Sorry, man,” Kenny muttered when we were alone. “I completely forgot…”
I waved his apology away. “Whatever. I tried. It’s up to her if she wants to go.”
Kenny just nodded slowly for a moment before speaking again. “So Kia’s nice. Not Vanessa’s usual pick in friends.”
“ She doesn’t want another Taylor,” I mumbled. “I think she’s trying to change.”
Kenny snorted. “I didn’t think your sister was capable.”
I got to my feet. “ She’s had a rough year, but she’s tough.”
Kenny unfolded his tall frame from the chair and tucked his phone into his pocket. “I like her. Kia, that is. She has a … personality, I find kind of sexy.” He looked up and caught the warning glower I cast him. He grinned. “Don’t worry. I know she’s yours. But I’d be careful.”
I folded my arms and cocked my head to the side. “Why’s that?”
Kenny moved towards the stairs, his long legs eating the distance with little effort. “Girls like Kia want your heart and no guy deserves that kind of death.”
I waited until he’d made his way up the stairs before muttering, “Too late.”
Taylor and the group met us at The Roundhouse Lodge on one of Whistler’s highest mountains. The lodge had always been one of my favorites. The log-style structure sitting regal against the snow-capped mountains always felt warm and welcoming, and the trip down the side of Whistler’s Peak … epic!
The group was waiting for us at the front doors of the lodge when we clambered our way off the gondola with our skis (snowboard in my case), poles and bulky suits. Taylor stood at the helm, entertaining the group with a story about some lazy waitress. The others seemed to be eating it up, laughing and making snide remarks. They stopped when Taylor turned and caught sight of us. She beamed and flicked a blonde curl off her shoulder.
“Adam!” She sashayed over and kissed me before I could stop her. Her lips were sweet, like flavored ChapStick—cherries, I think. It made me want to scrub my mouth. She drew back, biting her bottom lip. Her smile was all seduction as her arm snaked through mine. She pressed her chest into my upper arm. “Where did you go last night? I was hoping we could head up to my room and finish what we started on the couch. I know you were feeling it, too.”
We clearly had very different memories of the previous night, because, while I was feeling something, it hadn’t been her.
“ I told you it wasn’t happening again.” I tried to dislodge my arm from her clutches, but the girl was like a Venus flytrap and my arm was a fly.
“ I think you should let me try and convince you.” Her finger pressed into my lips before I could even think to correct her. “Don’t say anything right now, but when we’re
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